When my first son was born in 2002, I started to let myself go. I was sleep deprived and did not take care of myself. I had run before he was born for about three years, but stopped. To make matters worse, my eating habits were terrible, and I ate a ton of fast food.

Early on I was like, “Big deal; I’ve only gained 10 pounds.” Then it was 20, then 30, then 50, then 100+ extra pounds. I maxed out at 325 pounds on May 20, 2017. When I stepped on the scales and saw that, I just about freaked out. I also noticed my blood pressure going up, I was always tired, and I got to a point where I wondered what would happen to me if I kept this up. I knew that I had to do something now, not tomorrow.

I knew I had to break my journey into smaller, attainable mini-goals. I knew that a bowling ball, on average, weighs about 15 pounds. Think about what it would like to have to carry a bowling ball around all day. That got me to thinking of my personal “bowling ball challenge.” My goal was to focus on losing my weight one bowling ball at a time.

I started out on May 22, 2017. I got on my bike and could barely make it half a mile. I could run about 50 feet before I was gasping for air. It felt like I was running in chest- high water with 25 pound weights on each ankle. It was tough.

I was also embarrassed at times at that weight. I grew up on a farm, so I have always been an early riser. Depending on how far I need to run dictates the time I wake up. Since I was so out of shape, I also preferred to run early in the day (and even in the dark) to avoid seeing others in my community.

But I kept going. My focus was to run a little longer and a little faster each week. That early running routine started with me running 50 feet. Then it gradually increased. I started to run down the sidewalk in our town. I would run from one telephone pole to the next. Then I would walk to the next telephone pole, then run to the next, etc. Eventually, I ran two telephone poles, then three, then a half mile, then three miles, then five miles, and then 10 miles after just five months of running.

After six months, I had dropped 75 pounds. Now, 15 months later, I have dropped at total of 113 pounds and currently weighing 212. My goal is to get to 195 pounds. These past 15 months have been an absolute blessing in my life. The work put into my running and sticking with it have been worth every drop of sweat that I have shed.

What keeps me going is a few things. I keep a daily tracking sheet of my running and weight loss progress. I make sure I stay on track and do not skip any runs. I have vowed to myself to not deviate from my schedule. My wife and sons are supportive of me, allow me the time to stick with my goals, and encourage me as well. The most rewarding part of running is definitely the satisfaction I have when I am done with a run. Knowing that I have completed that challenge really motivates me.

My weight loss journey has literally moved me to tears. Tears of humiliation seeing how I let myself go over the years, tears of hard work and not knowing how I was going to complete my next challenge or run, and even tears of great happiness knowing that I am conquering this demon in my life by crossing the finish line and never quitting.

I recently ran (well, kinda) a half marathon in May. About five miles in, I experienced some foot pain. It kept getting worse. At the ninth mile, I was ready to quit. But I said I was going to finish, and I did. Although my time was not that great, I did not regret finishing.

My current goal is to complete my first ever marathon atthe Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Marathon on September 15. After that, I will continue with my running, and race monthly in 5Ks and half marathons to improve pace times and complete my total weight loss goal. I may even entertain another full marathon in 2019. Running won’t go away. I will continue to keep it in my schedule as long as I can. The benefits are literally life changing.

I know folks have heard this before, but I mean it when I say this, “If I can do this, anyone can do this.” I have currently shed 7.5 “bowling balls” so far. I seriously never thought I would see this day. If I can, you can too.

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Andrew DawsonGear & News EditorDrew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand.

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